Reading Response - The Glass Castle

          As I continue to read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, I notice character changes on a deeper level than I had noticed before. As the novel introduces even more characters, some minor and some major, they each seem to have specific backgrounds and motives. Many of these characters grow, to a certain extent at least, to have an impact on the main characters themselves. Some main characters however, such as Rex Walls, undergo internal and external changes as well, although they don't always last. It is important to note however, that character changes aren't exclusively positive.
          Rex Walls, being the father of the narrator and the patriarch of the family, is initially described as a loyal and caring father, but he shows more complexity than that in his actions, which sometimes contradicts this statement. Although he's had a drinking problem since Jeannette Walls was a toddler, it seems to steadily grow worse as his kids grow up and they move from home-to-home frequently. This often leads to his "drunken rampages", which causes family complications as he attacks anything or anyone in his way, often leading to the rest of the family going into hiding. However, Rex is aware of his destructive drunken nature and even tries to become sober, which succeeds for a few months, but he eventually returns to his alcoholic state. Being one of the roundest yet simultaneously flattest characters in the novel so far, Rex Walls truly is a human who behaves true-to-nature.